Iran Human Rights (JAN 10 2016): 12 prisoners sentenced to death for murder were reportedly transferred from their cells in Rajai Shahr Prison to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions.

According to close sources, the transfers occurred on Saturday January 9 and the executions are scheduled to be carried out in the coming days. IHR's sources have identified two of the prisoners as: Naser Karimnejad and Mehdi Kaheh. The human rights group, HRANA, has published some of the other names: Hossein Moeini, Reza Teymouri, Javad Sadeghi, Ebad Mohammadi, Mostafa Ejlali, Sajjad Nemati, and Anoush (his last name was not published).

A source who asked to be anonymous tells Iran Human Rights: "Six of the prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement from Ward 1 of Rajai Shahr Prison and the other six were transferred from wards 6 and 2."

"This is the third time that Mehdi Kaheh has been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution. The other times his execution was delayed after the plaintiffs on his case file granted him respite so he may have some time to collect the blood money needed to halt his execution. But, the Kaheh family failed to obtain the blood money and therefore did not receive consent by the plaintiffs to halt Mehdi's execution," says the source.

Last week at Rajai Shahr Prison, at least five prisoners were reported executed for murder charges.